


Saved

by J0shua



Category: The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: Depression, F/F, F/M, Gen, Ghosts, Haunted House, Main Character Death, Sadness, TV Show, alternative ending, anguish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 08:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24468181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J0shua/pseuds/J0shua
Summary: Nell is not well. This is obvious. It is as clear as day. Luke knows that his little sister is in danger. Although he cannot confirm with the facts, he is sure. It's just... a twin thing.OrWhere Luke escapes downtown to save Nell.
Relationships: Eleanor "Nell" Crain & Luke Crain, Eleanor "Nell" Crain & Steven Crain, Eleanor "Nell" Crain & Theodora "Theo" Crain, Eleanor "Nell" Crain/Arthur Vance, Eleanor "Nell" Crain/Luke Crain, Hugh Crain/Olivia Crain, Leigh Crain/Steven Crain, Luke Crain & Olivia Crain, Shirley Crain/Kevin Harris, Theodora "Theo" Crain/Trish Park
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	1. Twin Thing

**Author's Note:**

> I always wanted to see a scenario in which Nellie doesn't die. Still, I don't promise a happy ending for Crain. It depends on whether this story will continue or not. Anyway, I hope you like the fanfic :)

Luke woke up in the middle of the night. It was one in the morning and he was awake for no apparent reason. But there was a feeling. He felt very sad, but it didn't come from him. It was... a twin thing! This worried him too much. Enough to jump out of bed. He put on his shoes, put on his warmest clothes, and quietly approached the window. He opened it without making any noise. He put one leg out, and as he turned to put the other and jump, Luke saw that one of the guys who shared the pavilion with him was awake, watching him. Luke lifted his left hand - which was holding the window, although it was unnecessary - and rested his index finger on his lips, making a gesture of silence. The guy nodded and turned his back to Luke, lying on his bed, returning to sleep.

Luke jumped, falling into the alley behind the clinic. He groaned at the impact of his back on the cold, wet floor. He stood up, placing his hand on his back.  I'm too old for that , he thought. Limping a little, Luke ran away. Soon the pain in the ankle disappeared, but the heart was not. Luke was sad. He knew it came from Nell, and that worried him. He knew that she used antidepressants and other strong medications to deal with depression. Considering the possibility of his younger sister committing suicide, his body was aching and his stomach hurt. He ran to a nearby pay phone and called Nell. Surprisingly, she answered it. Luke sighed in relief, feeling some of the tension building in his shoulders lessen.

"Nell, I had a... hum... you know. It's... a twin thing. I just... are you okay?" Luke asked worriedly, hearing his sister sigh heavily on the other side. "I'm fine, Luke. I'm home now." Nell said in a light voice, and Luke could feel that she was smiling. It worried him. He felt a horrible sensation. Luke knew instantly where his sister was, and it panicked him. "What? Why did you go back to The House?" Luke was nervous and his hands were shaking.

"I saw her. The Bent-Neck Lady." She said with tears in her eyes. Luke could feel her crying. It terrified him. For an instant he remembered when he was a child. From when he woke up to the cry of his twin, who despaired at the hideous figure of a woman with a crooked neck in an unnatural way. He remembered to hug her and calm her down, and he remembered the night his little sister disappeared. In the middle of the storm, she disappeared. He remembers thinking that the house had taken her. But Nell came back. Thank goodness, the house didn't take his little sister from him, but now it was different. Her sister was in danger, and Hill House was to blame.

"Hey, Nellie. Count on me." Luke asked with his eyes clouded by the tears that had accumulated. First came the silence. Then her sister's shaky voice fulfilling her expectations. "O-one..." She started, hoping that her brother would accompany her. And so he did. "Two..." Luke continued in an equally shaky voice. "T-three..." Nell took a deep breath as he said the number out loud. "Four..." Luke felt his twin calming down, and it chased him too. "Five..." She continued, without stuttering this time. "Six..." Luke was calmer. They both knew what came next. "Seven." Nell was calm. Relaxed. Your ghosts are gone. Not quite, but they are gone. They weren't there at the moment, but they had plans to return. It didn't bother them at the moment. They just wanted to feel their concerns go away; yours and your twin's.

Luke took a deep breath, thinking about what he was going to say next. He chose to extend that silence for a few more moments before he spoke. "Get out of there, Nellie. Now. Go and don't look back. Go to that hotel. You know which one. I'll meet you there in an hour." Luke said in a firm voice, perhaps more firmly than he had been in years. He hasn't spoken to his sister like that since they were teenagers. More silence. One answer: "You don't have to do that. Stay in the center. Don't risk losing your spot." She asked knowing that he would deny it. Still, worth a try. "I left there in half an hour. I woke up and... I knew you weren't well. I knew. I would have to go after you." Luke responded by hearing a sigh on the other side. Was she disappointed? Perhaps. Or maybe she was just feeling guilty about getting in the way of her twin's recovery.

Nell promised that he would return to the hotel and ended the call. Luke sensed that she was telling the truth, so he didn't worry too much about it. Not now. As long as he had his twin thing to help him in situations like this - and at all other times, in fact - Luke would be lost. Desperate. He thought of ways to get to Nell. He had no money or anything that could be sold. All he had was Steve, but Luke wouldn't ask for money from him. A ride maybe, but no. It was a twin situation that should be treated as such. It may seem immature, childish. It was always just Nell and Luke. Just them. Ever. It would be no different now. Steve would not handle the situation like Luke. He was not Nell's twin. He didn't feel what she felt. He would never know how she feels, even if she tried. Even if he tried, he never felt the same way. Steve would curse her for going to The House, and then Luke for running away from the clinic, even if it was the right thing. Even if he had saved Nell's life, Steve would never easily approve of Luke's decision. It has always been like that. It would be no different now.

Luke went to the road and asked a gentleman for a ride in a moss-green truck. He had a thick, old-fashioned mustache for the time. His eyes were surrounded by dark circles and his face was full of wrinkles and sagging. His brown mustache was a little gray, as was his hair, which was covered by a trucker hat, like those you buy at convenience stores. He wore a light green chadrex shirt and worn blue jeans, soiled at the knees and close to the ankle. He also wore muddy brown boots on the soles and a little on the sides. He was going in the same direction as Luke expected to go. He assumed that he were a resident of the city, since it was closer to the countryside and people used to dress like that. The truck pulled up to the road next to Luke. He opened the passenger door and smiled at Luke. He knew he wanted to hitch a ride. It was instinctive. You always know when someone is hitchhiking. "Where are you going, boy?" He asked gently, "A roadside hotel. It's an hour from here, in the same direction you're going." Luke replied, watching the man remove his hand from the door, "I'm going to the city. I know which hotel you're talking about. I can drop you off at no charge." He said and Luke nodded, getting in the car, a little uncomfortable. "My name is Jhon. Jhon Owen."  
He said extending his hand to Luke, "Luke Crain." He said shaking Jhon's hand. He pulled out and went on his way. The radio was tuned to a prayer radio. For a long time, the only dialogue was a monologue, and it came from the preaching that played on the radio.

"It's delivered," Jhon says, stopping in the hotel parking lot. "Thank you very much." Luke says with a minimal smile. He opens the door and gets out of the car, but before closing it again, Jhon interrupts him by saying something that left him confused: "You know, I feel like I know you from somewhere. Do you live in the area?" He asked, pelting the pelvis towards Luke, propping his left arm in the direction. "No. I lived here when I was six. I haven't been here since." He replied, seeing the older man contort his face, "And where were you from?" Jhon asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. "I lived far from the city, at Hill House." Luke replied fearfully. Jhon changed his expression. He looked scared. "Are the rumors real? Is she...?" He started, but didn't have the courage to finish. "Haunted?" He asked, seeing the man nod. "Well, in childhood, my sister and I believed that we did. We both saw... things. But in the end, it was no big deal." He said seeing the man reassure himself, "Well, good luck, Luke. It was a pleasure to meet you." Jhon said with a smile. "Likewise." Luke stated closing the door.

Luke hadn't noticed. Nell's car was not there. He despaired. He ran to a pay phone in front of the hotel and dialed Nell. Busy line. He called Steve, who answered. "Hello?" Steve didn't know who was on the other side. "Steve, it's Nell." Luke said nervously. Steve's tone changed. "Luke? What is it? What are you talking about?" Steve suspected his brother was high, which made it all the more difficult. "She's in The House." Luke concluded desperately. "And wasn't that where she was supposed to be?" He was confused. He didn't understand what it was about. "Stevie, she's in The House. Nellie is at Hill House." He said seriously, "What? How do you... how do you know that?" Steve asked confused. He was almost certain that his brother was drugged and hallucinating or something. He doesn't quite know what the heroin causes. "I spoke to her. She told me she was there. I came to that hotel to find her but she isn't here. She was supposed to be here. Nellie is in danger, Steve . And I... I know it." Luke was rigid. His hands were shaking.

"Shit..." Steve stammered. It was all he could do. For a moment, Luke hoped to have his brother's help, but his expectations were dashed. "Luke, you're high." Steve said seriously. There was no room for denial or defense on Luke's part. It hurt to know that his older brother would rather accuse him of being high on heroin than believe him. "Fuck, Steve! It's not me! We're talking about Nell and she may or may not commit suicide in that fucking house!" For the first time in years, Luke yelled at Steven. And he felt good doing it. Silence. That was all. "Fuck, I knew you wouldn't believe it." Luke didn't give his brother time to answer and ended the call. He needed to get to The House. And fast.

Luke ran down the road. He needed to get to Nellie before it was too late. He hitchhiked a couple in a blue 1967 Chevy Impala. The seats were made of quality leather. The girl wore a denim jacket with a loose T-shirt underneath. Her hair was blond and her eyes were red. The driver wore a leather jacket with fringes on the sleeves and held a joint in one hand. They were hippies. Luke was fortunate to hitchhike with two drug addicts while struggling to keep his ninety days clean. But your sister was in danger. He cannot be demanding. "Where to, cute?" The girl asks laughing, "Do you know Casa da Colina? The one everyone says is haunted". He says avoiding breathing that smoke so intoxicating and flashy. "Hey, Matt. The little man wants to go to that cursed house an hour from town." She said, turning to the driver and stealing the gasket from his hand, swallowing a little and letting out all the smoke: "Easy, brother. Get in there." He says indicating the rear door. Luke came in and opened the glass, concentrating on ignoring what the two said: "You look stressed, bro! Here, it will make you feel better." The guy who apparently was called Matt came back to give Luke the joint. He denied. After a long and torturous trip, they arrived. Luke jumped out of the car and ran towards the house. He saw Nell's car outside. The cell phone glowed over the bank with missed calls from Steve and Shirley. Luke could see the time. 2:56 in the morning. He ran to the house, finding the door already open. 2:57. "Nell!" He called looking around. 2:58. He went up the stairs, looking both ways. Something told you to go to the left. Twin thing, maybe. 2:59. He called his sister and looked in every room. 3:00. He starts to despair. 3:01. He feels a strange thing in his neck. 3:02. Luke hears an abnormal creaking of the spiral staircase. He runs over there and sees Nell. "Luke!" She screams with tears in her eyes. 3:03.

He ran to Nell as fast as he could. She had a rope around her neck and tears in her eyes. She went out of balance. Luke leaned on the rail and held her arms when her feet no longer touched the ground. The only thing that kept her from falling was Luke, who grabbed her arm. "Nell!" He called. She looked at him crying. Luke reached out his other arm and grabbed his sister. He was using all his strength to lift it. She tried to help him in some way, but she didn't have much to do. Luke took Nell out of there, loosened the rope around her neck and hugged her. The tightest hug he has ever given you. Thick tears streamed down their faces. Silence. That was all.

"Why were you doing this?" Luke questioned undoing the hug to look his sister in the eye, holding her by the arms at the sides like when they were children. "I-I-I didn't want to, Luke." She replied in tears. Luke felt his fear, his anguish and his distress. He hugged her again. A tight hug. He would never release her again. Never.


	2. Steve Goes Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Luke's call, Steve decides to call Shirley and tell him what just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello... Sorry for the absence, readers. I promise to try to post new chapters much more often than before :)

"Luke?" Steve called. The silence confirmed that the call was over. Worried and unsure of what to do, Steve called Shirley. This answered a few seconds later. "What do you want, Steve? It's almost three in the morning." Shirley was annoyed. And rightly so; His relationship with Steve was no longer the best. A place for her at this early hour did not make things easier.

"Luke called me. He said Nell is... He's at Hill House." Steve said, hearing Shirley sigh on the other end of the phone. "He was high." She replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "No. I don't think so. He... He yelled at me, Shirley." "And?" The other nine asked simplistically, "Since when does Luke yell at us?" Steve questioned, causing Shirley to stop.

"Do you think he was serious?" He asked in an altered and nervous voice, "Yes... Yes, I think so. I called Nell several times, but she didn't answer." He replied with the same nervousness, "I called her too, but she didn't answer." Shirley added. After a while in silence, she spoke again, "Go over there. You're closer. I'm going to wake Theo up and go with her there." Said as an order.

The call has ended. Steve got dressed, got in the car and hit the road. He never imagined that he would be taking this pipe again. Not in these circumstances. A million things went through your head. Luke didn't really look stoned. But he didn't look sober, either. I was irritated that he left the clinic, but at the same time relieved to have done so.

Within an hour Steve was there. Her heart missed a beat when she saw the car if Nell was standing there. He left his stationary anyway and left, running towards the house. Everything was dark, but it was possible to have an idea of how things were there. The house was in chaos. More bizarre than that would be to find it in order.

Steve was startled to see the twins at the top of the winding stairs, holding each other. They were both crying. Apparently they did not notice the presence of the brother, who climbed the wooden stairs in the center of the lobby and ran to the two of them, listening better to the muffled sound of their cries.

Steve hugged them. Nothing was said. It was just a long hug. A hug that meant many things. It meant an apology. It meant thanks. Steve learned three things that night. The first was never to doubt the twin bidding Luke and Nell had. The second was always to listen to your younger brothers. And the third was that Hill House was definitely not a good place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but I plan to continue soon. I hope you enjoyed! Please inform me of any grammatical errors in the story. Until the next chapter :)


	3. Steve Goes Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Luke's call, Steve decides to call Shirley and tell him what just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello... Sorry for the absence, readers. I promise to try to post new chapters much more often than before :)

"Luke?" Steve called. The silence confirmed that the call was over. Worried and unsure of what to do, Steve called Shirley. This answered a few seconds later. "What do you want, Steve? It's almost three in the morning." Shirley was annoyed. And rightly so; His relationship with Steve was no longer the best. A place for her at this early hour did not make things easier.

"Luke called me. He said Nell is... He's at Hill House." Steve said, hearing Shirley sigh on the other end of the phone. "He was high." She replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "No. I don't think so. He... He yelled at me, Shirley." "And?" The other nine asked simplistically, "Since when does Luke yell at us?" Steve questioned, causing Shirley to stop.

"Do you think he was serious?" He asked in an altered and nervous voice, "Yes... Yes, I think so. I called Nell several times, but she didn't answer." He replied with the same nervousness, "I called her too, but she didn't answer." Shirley added. After a while in silence, she spoke again, "Go over there. You're closer. I'm going to wake Theo up and go with her there." Said as an order.

The call has ended. Steve got dressed, got in the car and hit the road. He never imagined that he would be taking this pipe again. Not in these circumstances. A million things went through your head. Luke didn't really look stoned. But he didn't look sober, either. I was irritated that he left the clinic, but at the same time relieved to have done so.

Within an hour Steve was there. Her heart missed a beat when she saw the car if Nell was standing there. He left his stationary anyway and left, running towards the house. Everything was dark, but it was possible to have an idea of how things were there. The house was in chaos. More bizarre than that would be to find it in order.

Steve was startled to see the twins at the top of the winding stairs, holding each other. They were both crying. Apparently they did not notice the presence of the brother, who climbed the wooden stairs in the center of the lobby and ran to the two of them, listening better to the muffled sound of their cries.

Steve hugged them. Nothing was said. It was just a long hug. A hug that meant many things. It meant an apology. It meant thanks. Steve learned three things that night. The first was never to doubt the twin bidding Luke and Nell had. The second was always to listen to your younger brothers. And the third was that Hill House was definitely not a good place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but I plan to continue soon. I hope you enjoyed! Please inform me of any grammatical errors in the story. Until the next chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so I ask you to forgive any mistakes. I would write in my native language if he were a little more ... popular. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story. Please leave your opinion in the comments! Don't be a ghost who just reads and leaves! And, if you liked it, congratulate my story! Follow my profile so you can read more stories about the most haunted family in television (after the Winchester brothers, of course)! See you!


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